Channeling EMOTIONS
Brit Daniels opens up about her music and the tragedy that fuels her inspiration .
© John Gilhooley
From a young age , rising star Brit Daniels has had a deep passion for music . Before she was born , her mom would put headphones on her pregnant belly because she wanted Daniels to love music like she did . Not much later , Daniels was belting out “ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ” in her backyard at the age of 2 and her parents knew she was destined to be a musician . Daniels was recording by the age of 13 and started really getting to know herself as an artist .
Originally from Texas , Daniels stayed local and attended the University of North Texas to study Radio TV and Film . After interning in radio , she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music . There , she started out as a pop country singer and then quickly changed her mind after some experience .
“ We were doing more pop country because it was easy to fill up more shows ,” she said . However , somewhere along the way , she discovered that country music was not her niche . She began to focus primarily on pop music and had “ never been happier .” She is currently working on new music and is excited for her fans to see what she has to offer .
Inspired by artists like Halsey , Selena Gomez , and Zendaya , Daniels is striving for her unique sound . She describes it as “ dark pop ,” which has a fun , pop aspect to it but with a moody vibe . Daniels loves producing this kind of music because it “ hits you in the heart ” as opposed to being like “ bubblegum pop .” Her new song , “ Shadows ,” embodies this dark sound .
“ I love this song so much ,” said Daniels . “ It turned out better than I can imagine .”
“ My goal is to keep cranking out music and to develop more as a person and an artist .”
Daniels worked on this song with one of her friends , Jonathan Perkins , and they created something that everyone can relate to .
The song is inspired by one of her friends who had recently gone through a breakup . Since almost everyone has experienced a breakup , Daniels wanted to put the feeling into words , which turned into this relatable , hit single . “ Shadows ” encompasses how , when you lose someone , you are almost haunted by the memory of them . You “ feel them , see them , and hear them .” This is something Daniels is all too familiar with . When Daniels was in the midst of figuring out her music career , her father , a police officer , was killed in the line of duty . This tragic situation really changed Daniels and she had to learn how to get along without his guidance and support . Daniels started redefining who she was as a person and as an artist , and channeled her emotions through her music .
“ My dad constantly inspires me . He is in everything I do ,” she said . Her father was always an inspiration to her and was her biggest fan . He always encouraged her to follow her dreams , and that ’ s what she did .
In addition to the music video for “ Shadows ,” Daniels is putting out new music and getting her name out there . “ My goal is to keep cranking out music and to develop more as a person and an artist ,” she said . Touring the world and sharing her music with others has always been a goal of hers and Daniels intends to keep working hard so she can accomplish it . She has overcome many challenges to get where she is today , but she continues to move forward to keep achieving her dreams . BY JAMIE GERHARTZ / PHOTOGRAPHED BY DANA PATRICK
5 Artists to See
@ VANS WARPED TOUR
Three words : Vans Warped Tour . YES ! It is still around . Just because there are so many good lineups popping up literally almost every day , don ’ t sleep on Vans Warped Tour . The legendary and feel-good concert is still kicking for us to enjoy rising talent and popular artists to check out . In fact , to get you more interested , check out our list of five artists you must check out at Warped Tour .
Save Ferris
Yes , yes . THE “ Come On Eileen ” song . This is one of my favorite bands , ever . So if you ’ re reading this , please do me the honor of witnessing their performance IRL . It ’ ll be worth it , trust me . I still have yet to see them but oh man , they have so many hits you can definitely find yourself dancing along to in the crowd .
Watsky
I may be a bit biased because he grew up in the Bay Area , but you cannot deny the skill level on this guy . A fellow coworker introduced me to him and I was just blown away at how fast he raps . I didn ’ t think it was humanly possible to talk this fast ( I mean , unless you ’ re an auctioneer ) but even still … He is amazing .
For the full list , visit clichemag . com and search WARPED TOUR .
BY ASHLEY BULAYO
www . clichemag . com 119